Boot



March 31, 1931. E, c. JAQKE 1,798,471

BOOT

Filed July 27, 1925 WITNESSES ATTORNEY 7M .g I- I v Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UNITED STATES ERTHOLD C. JANTKE, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO JAYEM MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN BOOT Application filed J'u1y 27,

e rial Nd. 704,191, filed April 4, 1924.

The use of a multiple-operated fastener on a high boot, in conjunction with a lacing for fitting the boot to the foot, as disclosed in the above application, has been found very convenient as the operation of placing the boot on the foot and removing it therefrom is greatly simplified. The boot may be properly fitted to the foot by the useof the lacing and the fastener is so flexible that it does not cause any discomfort. It has been found desirable to apply this fastening means to ordinary lacing boots and to permit replacement on boots in which the fastener or ad- -jacent parts have become defective.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an attachment for boots comprising a fastener strip adapted to receive eyelets for a lacing and including a multiple-operated fastener, whereby the fastener strip may be readily applied to a boot without encountering the difliculties met with in mounting the fastening elements directly to the upper.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a novel form of gusset for the boot which will facilitate manipulation and avoid discomfort.

A further object of the invention is to so place the fastener on the boot in a position affording the greatest ease of'entrance and removal of the foot and presenting a neat appearance.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of bodying the fastening strip of this inven tion- Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view theireof taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; an

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a fastener strip beforeits application to a boot.

In these drawings, 10 indicates a boot inwhich the upper 11 is parted at its forward portion, the outer quarter of the upper being provided with a row of eyelets 12 for a. centrally disposed or front lacing 13. To-cor which flexible stringers 19 of fabric or leather ford a closure and down to release the interoriginally employing only a lacing, a strip of leather is removed from the forward pora boot em-.

- secured to the upper along the row of eyelets PATENT OFFICE 1925, Serial No. 46,315.

respond with the eyelets 12, an inner row of eyelets 14 is placed in a fastener strip 15 of leather or other suitable material, which is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 16 to form spaced narrow ribbons 17 and 18 on its opposite sides joined at their lower ends. The eyelets 12 and 14 are arranged directly opposite each other in pairs to re ceive the front-lacing 13 which is a crossed lacing to insure retention of adjustment.

The fastener employed for closing this slot is of the multiple-operated separable type, a well known variety being illustrated, in-

attached to the ribbons 17 and 18 at the edges of the slot 16 are provided with interlocking members 20 secured theretoin alternate relation. The interlocking members are engaged and released by a runner 21 which serves to spread the members to permit their meshing or withdrawal. The runner is conveniently provided with a tab 22 to afford a fingerhold, whereby the runner may be moved up to aflooking members.

One of the flexible stringers 19 is sewn to the inner side of the eyeleted ribbon 17 and a facing 23 may be sewn at the inside thereof by the same stitching. The other stringer is secured to the ribbon 18, as by a single central line of stitching 24.

When the fastener strip is applied to a boot tion of the inside quarter of the boot. The ribbon 18 of the fastener strip is then sewn by lines of stitching 25 to the edge of the quarter left after removing the strip of leather above noted. Anew or modified gusset 26 is furnished in which one edge is securedto the upper by the stitching 25 and the opposite end portion folded with its edge 12, thus furnishing a closed gusset in which there is but onefold disposed at the outside quarter of the boot. When the spacing of the eyelets 12 is unknown the fastening strip 15 is preferably furnished without eyelets, so that theymay be later installed to correspon with the original eyelets 12.

' skill.

When the fastener strip is applied to a boot originally employing a similar fastener which has become defective, the old fastener is cut away along the inside stringer at the edge of the slot in the quarter receiving the fastener, thus leaving a stringer part 19 of the original fastener attached to the upper, as seen in Fig. 2. The gusset 26 in a boot originally employing the fastener is preferably fastened in the manner indicated in Fig. 2, as above described, so that it requires no alteration. The fastener strip 15 is then sewn to the upper by seams 25 in the same manner as above described. If the spacing of the eyelets on the original boot is known, the fastener strip may be furnished equi ped with eyelets. In each instance, the ri bon 18 of the fastener strip may be suitably skived at its edges so that when sewn to the boot it will present a neat appearance. It willbe seen that the operation of applying the fastener strip to a boot is comparatively sim 1e and may be done by any cobbler, as the astener assembly is suificiently rigid to permit accurate sewing, and thus obviates the necessity for attaching the flexible stringers of the fastener to adjacent leather parts, which is a factory operation requiring considerable The leather ribbons are preferably curved at intermediate portions to conform to the shape of the upper, and maintain the flexible stringers 19 in a corresponding shape.

The fastener strip is preferably provided at the inner quarter of the upper adjacent the lacing for the greatest effectiveness, as the lower terminus of the fastener is then substantially in line with the highest portion of the instep at the first metatarsal bone to afford the largest possible opening for insertion of the foot into the boot- As the lacing 13 is disposed centrally of the forward portion of the boot, the symmetry and appearance of the boot will not be impaired by variations of the width of the leg in the boot, and the term front lacing, as

hereinafter noted, defines a lacing in such positi on.

The fastener strip is made sufiiciently nar-' row so that it will not bear on the adjacent project-ing ankle bone and cause discomfort. As only a single fastener is required and only one lacing is necessary, boots embodying the fasteners may be inexpensively manufactured. To insure smooth and easy operation of the runner 21, a groove of ample depth is provided to form the fastener slot so that therunner will not press against the gusset during its travel.

The boot is placed on the foot with the separable fastener closed and the lacing open. The gusset 26 is then smoothed to assume the position shown in Figs. land 2 to present only a single fold at one side,-and the lacing is then adjusted to obtain theproper fitand then tied. For subsequent removal ofv the boot the runner 21 is moved downwardly to release the interlocking members 20, whereupon the laced portion of the u per is swung outwardly from the foot to a 0rd easy removal of the boot. Thereafter the boot is placed on the foot with the separable fastener opened, the gusset being readily smoothed and adjusted by passin one hand through the opening left by the fasteners and moved along to properly position the fold. It is then only necessary to move up the runner to effect closure of the upper, which requires but very little time as compared with a lacing operation, the lacing remaining in its initially adjusted position to insure a properly fitting boot.

hThe term boot, as herein used, includes s oe.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An attachment-for boots, comprising a multiple-operated separable fastener including a pair of flexible tapes having separable interlocking members fixedly secured thereto, and a leather fastener strip including spaced ribbon portions joined at their lower ends and permanently secured longitudinally to the outer portions of said tapes, said ribbon portions having intermediate curves and possessing sufficient rigidity to define a predetermined disposition of said flexible tapes.

2. An attachment for boots, comprising a slide controlled multiple-operated separable fastener including a pair of flexible tapes having separable interlocking members fixedly secured thereto, and a leather fastener strip including spaced ribbon portions joined at their lower ends and permanently secured longitudinally to the outer edge portions of saidtapes, andsaid ribbon portions possessing sufiicient rigidity to define a predetermined disposition of said flexible tapes.

3. The combination, with a shoe having an upper provided with the usual row of eyelets along one of its spaced separable forward edges, of a pair of separable flexible strips one of which is secured in lapping relation to the other forward edge of the upper and the other of said strips being spaced laterally from the eyeleted forward edge of the upper and having eyelets corresponding in spacing to the shoe uppereyelets, a centrallydisposed lacing bridging said eyeleted edge of the upper and said eyeleted strip for fitting the boot on the foot, and slide-controlled means for'connectingsaid strips together.

4. An attachment for boots comprising a fastener strip including spaced substantially parallel ribbon portions joined at their lower ends, one of said ribbon portions adapted to be longitudinally secured to the upper of a boot and the other of which is adapted to be provided with eyelets to receive a lacing, and a slide-controlled multiple-operated separable fastener connecting the spaced ribbon portions of said fastener strip and including a pair of flexible tapes fixedly secured to said ribbon portions and separable interlocking members fixedly secured to said tapes.

l 5. An attachment for'boots comprisin a slide-controlled multiple-operated separa 1e fastener including a pair of flexible tapes having separable interlocking members fixedly secure thereto, and a leather fastener strip having spaced ribbon portions joined at their lower ends and permanently secured longi- I tudinally to the outer edge portions of said tapes, one of said ribbon portions being adapted to receive eyelets to correspond with eyelets on a boot for receiving a front central lacing and the other of said ribbon portions adapted to be longitudinally sewn to said upper whereby the application of said fastener to a boot is facilitated.

6. An attachment for boots comprisin a slide-controlled multiple-operated sep'ara 1e fastener including a pair of flexible tapes having separable interlocking members fixedly secured thereto, and a leather fastener strip having spaced substantially parallel ribbon portlons joined at their lower ends and permanently secured longitudinally to the outer edge portions of said tapes. In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

so ERTHOLD C. JANKE. 

